Little Problem with Jack

AnTz0r · #1 12-25-2003, 05:33 AM

hiya folks, merry christmas

now that ive got two free days, time to do some maintenance on my bass, a '93 Warwick Corvette, i bought it 2nd-hand 2 months ago.

There has been a problem with the output jack (the salesman told me about this), it doesnt lock the plug properly so when i move the cord i hear some nice bangs through my amp (but nothing pulling the cord through your strap cant fix).

so today i wanted to get the jack out and put some extra pressure on the lock-thingie to solve it, but its one of those barrel-types, so it cant be done right? i failed to get the jack out alltogether, i dont have a tool to remove the outer ring to get it out.

only solution would be new jack or maybe Q-tip with alcohol right? i dont have warranty anymore...

ilfretless · #2 12-25-2003, 05:38 AM

change the jack.
i think it's not a good idea to try solve this problems by yourself. any money you spend to keep your bass in perfect conditions is weel spent!

**HeavyDuty** · #3 12-25-2003, 08:29 AM

Off to Setup...

AnTz0r · #4 12-25-2003, 09:09 AM

oops youre right, im sorry

nashvillebill · #5 12-25-2003, 10:16 AM

Barrel jacks, in my opinion, don't make quite as secure a connection as regular jacks. The contacts in barrel jacks are a little smaller and don't press as firmly against the plug. I've replaced the one in my Warwick Fortress Flashback 5 at least twice, with Neutrik jacks, and it still pops if you wiggle the cord a little. You're right on the money running the cord through your strap.

The jack does NOT replace from the outside. You have to unsolder it; then remove a hex nut on the barrel jack, all this is from the INSIDE of your electronics compartment. No special tools, other than a soldering iron and needle-nose pliers to turn the hex nut (you probably won't be able to get a wrench in there.

I ordered a new barrel jack from Parts Express, they're maybe a couple bucks each. At the local guitar store they'll probably charge you ten dollars for the jack alone. Plus another ten or twenty to install it, so it's worth buying a 25 watt soldering iron and a little solder from Radio Shack and doing it yourself.

merlin · #6 12-25-2003, 06:08 PM

I would replace the barrel jack with a skeleton type. Eaiser to fix down the track.

Merls

RobbieK · #7 12-25-2003, 08:04 PM

After you've had the jack replaced (by a reputable tech using a good quality jack), you might like to buy a lead with a right-angle plug at one end. My feeling is that barrel jacks usually break because they are installed in the side of the axe. The plug sticks straight out and gets bumped all the time. Some basses even rest on the lead plug whenever they are in a guitar stand.

Treena Foster · #8 12-26-2003, 06:11 AM

Get yourself a Switch Craft replacement, they are made better and last longer.

http://www.axcessories.com/products.asp

Treena

AnTz0r · #9 12-26-2003, 06:46 AM

http://cgi.voxhumana.nl/vox_store/vo...product=OUTPUT JACKS&cart_id=9774065_87388

would this one be suitable, and fit in the bass?

nashvillebill · #10 12-26-2003, 11:28 AM

The big jack that An TzOr posted won't fit in the Warwicks, at least it sure wouldn't fit in mine without serious modifications. Though I definately agree, it's a better jack. See how big the contact is (the curled thing on the right side of the picture).

Look at the pic Treena posted and you can see what has to be done to remove the jack. First, de-solder the wires from the two silver lugs at the bottom of the pic. Notice which wire went where. Then unscrew the hex nut (seen up about 1/4 inch from the lugs) Pull out the jack. Put in new jack, tighten nut. Solder in wires.

Thanks guys for posting the pics.

RobbieK · #11 12-27-2003, 09:34 PM

The Warwick is active, right?...
If so, make sure you get a stereo jack. (Unlike the ones pictured.) And yep I agree switchcraft are the way to go for the barrel type jack. In my part of the world, you can get these imitation ones, made in Tiawan or something for, like 5 or 10 bucks (Australian). IMO they represent a false economy.

RobbieK · #12 12-27-2003, 09:44 PM

Oh and make sure the casing of the jack has a good physical connection to the shielding paint or foil in the electronics cavity. You might have to ditch the rubber washer to achieve this. (Use a metal spring washer or lock washer instead.) Also a drop of the low or medium strength threadlock is a good idea.

AnTz0r · #13 12-28-2003, 06:47 AM

i dont really understand what you mean with all this..... can you explain this a bit further?

and why would a stereo jack be better?

and btw, yes it is active,with EMG's from previous owner, but it has a lower output than my passive cort. in fact, i use the passive input on my Trace Elliot GP7 preamp and i have to turn 9 in order to get it overload occasionally.

nashvillebill · #14 12-28-2003, 11:40 AM

You'll only need a stereo jack if you've got an active bass (a battery). Here's why: If you have a battery, they use a clever little trick to cut the battery off when you unplug the cable. A regular instrument cable plug has the tip on the end, then a single metal sleeve. A stereo plug, though, has the tip, then a little ring, then the metal sleeve. (The metal sleeve is the ground, the tip is one channel, and the ring is the other channel, for example, if you look at a plug for a pair of headphones).

How does this work in your bass? They put in a stereo jack, the tip is normal. The ring contact (inside the jack) is wired to the battery, and the sleeve contact is wired to the negative (ground) of the electronics. So when a regular instrument cable is plugged in, since there's only a single sleeve, the contact for the ring makes contact with the sleeve, and completes the electrical circuit, turning on the battery. (Some basses may have the sleeve to the battery and the ring to the ground, electrically it functions the same way).